Huffing and Puffing to Do My Huffington Puffer Story

The unusually cold and snowy winter we’ve had in New York City had me eager to do one of my Huffington Post fashion round-ups about stylish puffer (aka puffa) jackets, but it wasn’t meant to be. I didn’t get as many volunteers as I would like. Maybe I’ll try again next year. There should be plenty of options — yesterday, the Wall Street Journal cited the puffer as the “most overdone trend” of the recent Fall/Winter 2014 fashion shows.

From the Wall Street Journal.

LOL WUT? “Most overdone trend” sounds so much more negative than the paragraph under it, which says that dozens of labels offered “artful takes” on the look. That seems like a good thing to me. By the way, the Christian Dior puffer dress shown in the WSJ is not the first of its kind. Junya Watanabe has been doing all sorts of amazing puffer clothes for years, including the 2009 coat/dress I featured in a December post.

Vintage Watanabe is available on 1stdibs.com for $1,500. Click to shop.

I’m not sure what year this Watanabe puffer or “duvet” skirt is from, but it makes a statement.

Click for source.

My friend Julie’s leopard-print puffer skirt from Patricia Field — which I previously shared in that December post — is a bit more wearable.

Julie said this mini is warm AND comfortable.

I did find a few peeps flaunting stylish puffers. Maybe these ladies will inspire you when you’re browsing the fall collections. I personally would be happy to wear the edgy, leather puffer owned by gorgeous blogger Judith of Style Crone. The leopard-print hat adds extra style.

Click for Judith’s original post.

I’m thinking that a leather puffer could be the way to go. Anna S. of No Scrubs has one in an eye-catching shade of blue.

Anna S.

Amber of Butane Anvil has had a puffer by Mexx since about 2002. The floral quilting and big pointy collar make this one special.

Eboni made me want to look for more gold puffers. I’ve seen a bunch by H&M and Zara, but who wants a style that everyone has? I started looking for vintage alternatives. This one by Ralph Lauren Vintage on FarFetch costs over $1,000, so you won’t be scoring a bargain, but you’ll be warm and shiny!

Click to shop.

This Ralph Lauren jacket on eBay looks to be identical to the FarFetch one and the “buy it now” price is $500.

Click to shop.

If you’re on a tighter budget, there’s an intriguing black-and-gold ’80s puffer on Etsy for $44.

Classic ’80s shape. Click to shop.

My favorite puffy piece today isn’t a jacket at all — it’s this padded cuff printed with trompe l’oeil pearls. It’s available at FarFetch for about $100.

Warm and shiny is SO where it’s at! I love the leather versions, but personally I am still needing that giant silver baked potato cocoon you featured a while back. Thanks for including my old Mexx in the mix.

I haven’t taken the puffer plunge yet, dear Wendy…and since I’m busy crossing my fingers that our Vancouver winter is almost over, there’s a good possibility that it might not happen!! Still, the Patricia Field leopard skirt is very appealing; and that cuff has an adorable, grown-up “water wing” feeling, doesn’t it?! Hmmm…maybe puffer season isn’t over yet…

Those women make puffers look superb. I don’t know about “yesterday,” however; puffers really are the best way to keep warm during winter, and I can’t really imagine people giving them up just for the sake of fashion.

I remember when puffers first came into my life. I was in about 6th or 7th grade, living in Chicagoland, so that kind of winter coat was really the best option. THey weren’t called puffers then, but “down jackets.” But only the burnouts wore them, and if anyone else (school age) put one on, they were immediately categorized as a burnout, whether they were one or not. You risked your social status.

Eventually, everyone got wise to the puffer and wore them. They just took off. That’s when Norma Kamali’s work with them became popular. We were wearing much less lofty (ha ha) brands, whose names I can’t even remember. We all looked like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, but we were warm.

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MEET WENDY BRANDES

Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.